Sara Rachel Benson

Sara Rachel Benson is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the University Library, School of Information Sciences, European Union Center, and Center for Global Studies. Her research focuses on shaping copyright policy through analysis of library/museum practices and socio-political principles. Key areas include fair use, traditional cultural expressions, digitization challenges, and legal literacy in academic settings.

Notable achievements include the Crosman Memorial Award (2020) and Emerging Public Policy Award (2023), alongside leadership roles such as Head of the IFLA Delegation to the World Intellectual Property Organization. She actively participates in policy advocacy, including the ALA Policy Corps and presentations on copyright during the pandemic's impact on education.

Benson’s work bridges law, information science, and global policy, with recent projects examining Indigenous cultural heritage protection, AI-generated content labeling, and STEM students' copyright knowledge. She co-leads initiatives like the Library Publishing Curriculum and contributes to datasets on fair use training efficacy.